EL BLOG DE LA FIIAPP. Cooperación Española

On 18 June, we ended one of our projects in Morocco: “Supporting the National Research System for its Integration into the European Space”, and, to mark the event, the FIIAPP brought together a number of experts from universities and the Spanish National Research Council in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville. They shared the ideas, objectives and conclusions of the project related to Moroccan scientific research and technology.

We interviewed Rafael Rodríguez, project leader on behalf of Spain, who told us how the work went in Morocco:

Have the objectives set out at the start of this project in Morocco been achieved?

Yes, and not only the initial objectives: we have in fact gone slightly beyond our original target. Tangible results have been achieved which represent benefits for some of those involved in Science and Technology in Morocco. In addition, on a research project you resolve one problem and identify two others. In this regard, other needs arose. Specifically, they are now asking us for assistance to reform their tertiary education system and to improve the knowledge transfer system, which is an extremely important political objective.

We will study the possibility of another project of this kind, either a collaboration between Spain and Morocco or, like this one, between Spain, France and Morocco, given that the collaboration with our French colleagues has been magnificent.

How could this cooperation project affect the daily lives of the Moroccan people?

We will only know that in the long term. In the short term, the project has contributed to improving the quality of the organisational system and the science and technology system.
In addition, the project coincided with an important political change: the approval of the current constitution last year. And in some political discourses and legislative texts we have seen the recommendations proposed by the experts, mainly Spanish and French, to the Moroccans. I think we can say that the project has had a positive impact.

In planning the project, it was clear that there was a need for the government to encourage the private sector to become more involved in research. Has that been achieved?

Some advances have been made. But we must take into account the fact that in Morocco there are very few large industries, the majority are small and medium enterprises, and that sector is less receptive.
However, we had a pleasant surprise: Morocco has a policy for the training of associations by industrial sectors. So, one of the most successful activities was to put Moroccan groups into contact with the European technological platforms which group together companies in certain sectors. This has permitted the integration of Moroccan agents into these platforms. This was one specific, practical result and an immediate benefit for Morocco.

Are you satisfied with the work that has been done?

Of course. We have done a great deal of work, more than we thought, and that influences the quality of the result. The reports on the missions and the documents that have been produced are of very high quality, very meticulous, and they reflect the good work that has been done.

What are the main conclusions of this Report, where are we heading “post-2015”?

The report focuses on three main issues which must be key from 2015 on. The first one is funding for development. In a couple of years, we must realise that we cannot depend solely on traditional aid, there are new means of funding such as the resources of the private sector. In addition, trade and investments are very important for developing countries. We have to focus on promoting the economic, social and environmental transformation of countries so they can develop in a sustainable manner. And the third point is migration: the report proposes an international migration regime which manages the phenomenon better and respects the rights of all migrants.

Have the changes that have taken place in the world since the drafting of the MDGsbeen taken into account in the preparation of this report?
Yes, the first two parts of the report are about these changes. We also analyse the political transformations, the new international agents, the emerging middle classes and the demographic trends. This report highlights that in 2030 half of the people who live in cities will live in slums. That will help us to better understand urban poverty.

In what ways have the MDGs failed, what must be changed?
First of all, we must say that the goals have been a success. What we want to highlight is that health care, education and other social aspects are very important, but not sufficient. Other factors must be taken into account in order for development to be sustainable. Those factors are the funding of aid, the investments of poor countries and migration.

Report Complete in english:

–          How has the international economic crisis influenced (and influences) the sector?

The map of cooperation has changed, but not only due to the crisis. There are new challenges, there is a constant transformation. The number of both donor and recipient countries has changed. Now, there are new state agents; one example being emerging countries such as China. We have moved to hyper-collective action, there are many more agents involved. In addition, there are now more challenges and there are new subjects on the agenda such as climate change. We are all aware that climate change can particularly affect the developing countries through droughts, the rise in sea levels, etc. We are already working on this but we need to put some initiatives into practice in the next cycle. And, finally, there are new instruments and innovative funding mechanisms.

–      In addition, there is a new, emerging middle class, which can also exercise influence when it comes to formulating the new agenda

There is a traditional discussion: where are there more poor people? Some say that the largest number of poor people is in middle-income countries, while others believe that medium income countries can solve their problems themselves, whereas the poor people in the poorest countries have nowhere to turn to and our action must focus on them. There are also those who believe that what we are currently experiencing is only temporary, that, in the next 20 years, the situation will change a great deal. And I don’t believe in making generalisations. Latin America, for example, is not uniform. I spent 8 years of my life in Central America and we have to continue working there. The problem is not just poverty, we also have to work in other spheres such as security.

–         How can cooperation be defended in times of crisis?

Essentially, there are two arguments. It is true that the economic situation is worse than a few years ago, for everyone, but through aid to development we are helping people who are much worse off than us, people who are at the very edge of survival. And, secondly, cooperation is one dimension of our country’s foreign intervention and there are problems which, if we do not tackle them now, will simply explode and it will be more difficult to resolve them in the future. There are clear examples such as migration, the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel, etc. Another example is our work in Latin America. If they are doing well, then so are we, due to the interests that Spain has in the region.

–          People frequently talk about ‘economic diplomacy’, the ability of some institutions (such as the AECID or the FIIAPP) to use their expansion around the world to the benefit of the country’s economy Cooperation is a Brand in Spain and it is worth maintaining it.

The aim of cooperation is the fight against poverty, but cooperation also uses many resources which, in turn, generates business opportunities for Spanish companies. The more concrete initiatives on the ground, the more opportunities companies have to secure contracts.